1 complete change from the normal state (idiom); quite uncharacteristic
2 entirely outside the norm
3 out of character
一日三秋
yī rì sān qiū
1 a single day apart seems like three seasons (idiom)
一日不见,如隔三秋
yī rì bù jiàn , rú gé sān qiū
1 one day apart seems like three years (idiom)
一日之计在于晨
yī rì zhī jì zài yú chén
1 make your day's plan early in the morning (idiom)
2 early morning is the golden time of the day
一日之雅
yī rì zhī yǎ
1 lit. friends for a day (idiom)
2 fig. casual acquaintance
一日千里
yī rì qiān lǐ
1 lit. one day, a thousand miles (idiom); rapid progress
一日为师,终身为父
yī rì wéi shī , zhōng shēn wéi fù
1 lit. teacher for one day, father for ever (idiom)
三纲五常
sān gāng wǔ cháng
1 three principles and five virtues (idiom)
2 the three rules (ruler guides subject, father guides son and husband guides wife) and five constant virtues of Confucianism (benevolence 仁, righteousness 義|义, propriety 禮|礼, wisdom 智 and fidelity 信)
不可同日而语
bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ
1 lit. mustn't speak of two things on the same day (idiom); not to be mentioned in the same breath
2 incomparable
不见天日
bù jiàn tiān rì
1 all black, no daylight (idiom); a world without justice
世风日下
shì fēng rì xià
1 public morals are degenerating with each passing day (idiom)
人之常情
rén zhī cháng qíng
1 human nature (idiom)
2 a behavior that is only natural
今日事今日毕
jīn rì shì jīn rì bì
1 never put off until tomorrow what you can do today (idiom)
以身作则
yǐ shēn zuò zé
1 to set an example (idiom); to serve as a model
作威作福
zuò wēi zuò fú
1 tyrannical abuse (idiom); riding roughshod over people
作茧自缚
zuò jiǎn zì fù
1 to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising
2 hoist by his own petard
作鸟兽散
zuò niǎo shòu sàn
1 lit. scatter like birds and beasts (idiom)
2 fig. to head off in various directions
3 to flee helter-skelter
来日方长
lái rì fāng cháng
1 the future is long (idiom); there will be ample time for that later
2 We'll cross that bridge when we get there
俾夜作昼
bǐ yè zuò zhòu
1 lit. to make night as day (idiom); fig. to burn the midnight oil
2 work especially hard
俾昼作夜
bǐ zhòu zuò yè
1 to make day as night (idiom, from Book of Songs); fig. to prolong one's pleasure regardless of the hour